TRILENE BIG GAME vs Mastiff FC Fluorocarbon Line: which is safer?
BERKLEY TRILENE BIG GAME is the clear pick. Shimano Mastiff FC Fluorocarbon Line carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Berkley
TRILENE BIG GAME
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyUV degradation and embrittlement
PossibleMicroplastic release during use
Shimano
Mastiff FC Fluorocarbon Line
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyPFAS inherent to material structure
PossibleMicroplastic shedding from line degradation
ReportedEnvironmental persistence and bioaccumulation
Where these two actually differ
- We flag UV degradation and embrittlement and Microplastic release during use on the Berkley and not on the Shimano.
- We flag PFAS inherent to material structure, Microplastic shedding from line degradation, Environmental persistence and bioaccumulation and Coating embrittlement and loss of integrity on the Shimano and not on the Berkley.
- The Berkley is monofilament nylon fishing line where the Shimano is Fluorocarbon fishing line (PVDF or similar polyvinylidene fluoride), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 55 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Berkley is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More fishing line: see the full ranking